The value of doing a ministry apprenticeship in a church plant
In 2003, my wife and I moved from Brazil to the UK. Soon we began to study the Bible with some friends at home. In 2005 this group of friends grew, and we decided to plant a church. However, I made some mistakes during the process of planting a church which resulted in the death […]
Council Estate Christianity: blessings and challenges
I’ve been asked to write on this topic, so here goes, but bear in mind this is written from my perspective, and I’m not claiming everyone who works in such an area feels this way! Blessings of ministering on a council estate: Some challenges: But, as you can see, there are more blessings than challenges!
Risk is right
In 1976, Ron started a company with two of his friends. Just two weeks after starting the company, Ron became impatient about whether this whole startup thing was worth his time. His two friends were big on ideas but knew nothing about business. Their startup was in a garage, not in a trendy warehouse conversion. […]
Both-And: Good Work and Gospel Work
Aged six, I’d decided that I was going to be a firefighter. I would fight fires during the week and – after a family holiday to Switzerland – I decided my weekend job would be driving trains up the Swiss mountains. I have not yet been a firefighter or a driven a train. I have […]
An Internship with a Difference
Matt Waldock, formerly a ministry trainee and now a church planter and pastor, shares how City Church Manchester has crafted a particular form of ministry traineeship for these economic times. A lot has changed since I was a ministry trainee in 2004. When I graduated from Lancaster University, the concept of ministry trainees was an […]
Self-Management and Productivity
Introduction Christians, perhaps more than most people, get stressed about time. This is not surprising, given the combination of the urgency of gospel ministry and the finite length of available time, which we find in passages like this: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a […]
Doing Youth Work Without Changing Shoes
Doing youth work without changing shoes Recently, a few minutes before an evening service, a teenager complimented me on my shoes. “I like your shoes, Chris! You’re down with the kids.” There was, as far as I could tell, no hint of irony in his tone. Indeed, glancing across to his shoes, I saw they […]
God Isn’t finished With You Yet
Graham Fairbairn shares his story. For many Christians, the desire to investigate full-time gospel service is probably most strongly felt in their teens, twenties and early thirties. This is a time in life when anything seems possible and a more settled period of life with weighty family, work and financial responsibilities has not arrived yet. […]
Why should I become a Christian?
This talk was given by Chris Green at an evening service at St James Muswell Hill. Introduction A few years ago I had a lovely holiday in New Zealand, and one of the things I did – if you know the South Island, fabulous place – one of the things I did, was what was […]
How can I know I am a Christian
This talk was given at an evening service at St James Muswell Hill in February 2016. Introduction Heavenly Father, please would you open your Word tonight. Please would you help us to understand what’s in it. And please would you let your Book read us. Please would you go inside our hearts, show us what is […]
Prayerful Intentionality
There is so much about the Christian life that I love. To be awakened every morning to hear God’s word and speak with my loving Father in prayer is an immense privilege. To worship in the company of others and sing God’s praise is heart-warming and spiritual. To live with God’s moment-by-moment presence is assuring. […]
9:38 Director Appointment
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Harker as the new Director of 9:38, which seeks to serve local churches in helping to raise up the next generation of gospel workers. His main responsibilities will include advocating this vision with UK church leaders, developing our resources, and planning our conferences. Andy brings a […]